If You Sit All Day, You Need This Yoga Flow in Your Life

Sophie Miura is an editor, journalist, and digital strategist with more than 10 years of editorial experience. She was previously a Senior Editor at MyDomaine, and is currently the Digital Content Director at Domino Media Group.

According to Sarah Levey, co-founder of Y7 and c-author ofWe Flow Hard, yoga is a great antidote to this modern predicament. "The majority of asana in yoga are standing postures and overall work to regain proper alignment," she says. "It's definitely effective but not the only thing we should be doing to support our backs." It's certainly worth noting yoga won't cure lower back pain—it's simply a good way to help with alignment and improve posture.

If you're struggling with back pain, she warns that there are some poses that might exacerbate the issue. "Any postures that require a lot of mobility in the lower back, such as the full wheel, locust, and full heroes pose [should be avoided]."

If you sit at a desk all day, Levey recommends following a warm-up sequence to improve strength and alignment and encourage you to decompress from a sedentary day. Here's how it's done:

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

Begin in a child's pose. Keep your toes together, knees spread wide apart, as your chest melts down between your legs. Your arms will stretch out long in front of you. Take a big breath in and a big breath out.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

On your next inhale rise up onto your hands and knees into a tabletop position. Your hands and knees should be firmly planted into the mat, your shoulders directly over your wrists. Your neck will be long and your gaze should be right in front of your fingertips. Suck the belly into the spine, creating a long line of energy with a neutral spine. Stay here for a full breath (inhale and exhale).

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

On an inhale, arch your spine and bring your gaze to the sky for cow pose. On your exhale, round your back as you drop your head and look toward your belly button, coming into cat pose.

Moving with your breath, begin three rounds of cat and cow, warming up the spine. Consider making these movements your own by swiveling the hips or flipping the palms.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

When you have finished your third full breath, tuck your toes and lift your hips into downward facing dog. Once you arrive there, spread your fingertips wide, making sure your thumb and first finger are firmly planted in the ground—holding a bit more weight than the rest of the hand. Your biceps should be rotating toward the ears, so the inner part of your elbow is facing the front of the room. Activate the inner thighs as you lift the hips farther toward the sky. Your feet should be hip’s width apart and parallel to one another, with toes pointed to the front of the mat as your heels reach toward the ground. If you choose, stay here for a few cycles of breaths.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

On an inhale, lift your right leg straight up toward the sky into a downward dog split.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

On your exhale step your foot forward into a low lunge, keeping the fingertips on the ground—your foot should land in between your hands. Bring your gaze in front of the fingers as you stay here for a full breath.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

When you finish your exhale, begin to tuck your toes, keeping your back leg long as you straighten the front leg as much as you can, coming into pyramid pose. Keep your chest draped over the front leg—your forehead may touch your leg. If you are having trouble or this pose is challenging for you, step your back leg in as much as you need to in order to feel stable and grounded.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

On an exhale, step your left foot to meet your right coming into a forward fold. Let your head hang, relaxing the neck. You may want to reach your hands for your opposite elbows, or bring the hands interlaced behind the head for a deeper stretch.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

Inhale and rise up to mountain pose, hands at your heart center, facing the front of the room. Close your eyes and stay here for a moment, feeling the ground supporting you as you maintain this pose for two full breaths.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

Take a big inhale, and as you exhale move from your hips to swan dive your arms down to the mat, coming back into a forward fold.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

As you inhale, bring your hands to your shins and look up, keeping a flat back, coming into a halfway lift.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

Bring both hands down to the ground and step back to a plank pose. Your shoulders should be directly over your wrists. Extend your heels back and pull up through the thighs, reaching the tailbone back to create one long line with your body. Stay here for three full breaths, firing up the core.

On your next exhale, keep the elbows close to your sides as you lower halfway down into chaturanga dandasana, also known as staff pose—in this pose, your elbows should be bent to a 90-degree angle.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

Inhale, flip the toes, and press the chest forward and up, gliding through to upward facing dog. Only your hands and the tops of the feet should be on the ground, your thighs and knees should be active and lifted.

We Flow Hard, 2018 by Sarah and Mason Levey, Running Press

On an exhale tuck the toes and lift the hips back to downward facing dog.

Repeat the full sequence on your left side.

Shop We Flow Hard for more yoga sequences to try at home, plus a few of our favorite workout essentials.